Efficient

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɪˈfɪʃənt/

Definitions

1. Producing maximum results with minimum wasted effort, time, or resources
2. Maximizing productivity by utilizing resources effectively and minimizing unnecessary expenditure of time or effort
3. Accomplishing tasks with optimal use of resources while reducing wasted time, effort, or materials

Etymology: The adjective "efficient" entered English in 1398, when it meant "making" or "causing to happen," and that sense is the one it started with. Its Latin ancestor, "efficientem," was the present participle of "efficere," meaning "work out" or "accomplish," built from "ex-" ("out") and "facere" ("to make" or "do"). The same Latin verb also gave us "effect," so the two words are close relatives: an effect is what something produces, and the efficient cause was once the agent that produced it. The modern sense of skilled productivity arrived much later, in 1787. Over the intervening centuries the emphasis shifted from the act of causing something to the quality of doing it well with little waste, which is why the word now praises machines and workers rather than describing whatever brings an event about.

Synonyms: effective, productive, capable, proficient, organized

Antonyms: inefficient, wasteful, unproductive, ineffective, clumsy